By William Selmah, wselmah@gail.com
Former Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is calling for investment in the youthful population of the West African region, in order to reduce poverty and enhance better living conditions in the sub-region.
Mrs. Sirleaf particularly wants investment in the health and education of young people as a means of unleashing their innovative and leadership strengths.
The former president believes that unlocking the young people’s innovative and leadership talents is critical to reducing poverty.
She spoke Monday at the opening of the Young Africa Leadership School held in Monrovia on Monday, November 23, 2020. It was attended by young leaders from five West Africa.
“A better Africa, particularly Liberia, depends on young emerging political leaders across the continent. Investment in their education in order to enable them exhibit their full potentials”, Sirleaf said.
She added that women and young people are crucial to driving any development goals, saying 16% of the world’s 1.2 billion population are young people between the ages 16-25.
“The future belongs to you; put in our own Liberian way, you are leaders in-waiting; we are waiting for you to lead”.
Also speaking at the opening of the program was the Coordinator of the Young Professional Leadership School of Africa Faith Kemokai, who explained that “the overall goal of their organization is to contribute to a new generation of character driven political leaders that will be accountable and responsive to the needs of society and to help shape the future of their respective counties in the positive direction. This is the best and innovative way of becoming middle level professionals into politics, governance and helping them to become transformational and servant leaders”
According to Madam Kemokai, the Young Professional Leadership School of Africa has built the capacity of over 530 young political leaders from various political institutions since its founding in April 2016.
“This is such an exciting time for us – a time full of hope, full of dream and full of love”, she pointed out.
Some of the institutions that have benefitted from their programs include the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), the Rainbow Alliance, among others, Kemokai said.
She also named others as religious and physically challenged institutions.